New, affordable and reliable communications technologies enable the use of wireless devices on mobile platforms, e.g., motor vehicles, to transmit sensor signal information and actuator control commands. The primary advantages of wireless devices typically include an ability to customize an application, add features, and reduce costs. Faults in the wireless communications link, or delays in message delivery that exceed an admissible limit are undesirable. Solutions to preclude or accommodate incomplete message delivery include using high bandwidth transmission channels to overcome communication bottlenecks or using different transmission channels for every two or three sensors. However, in either case, the available bandwidth on each transmission channel is not effectively utilized, and, there are a limited number of available communications bands. Moreover, for every transmission channel, use of a different wireless transceiver increases system costs. One proposed solution in the literature comprises encoding sensor signals on common power supply lines, which involves additional circuitry to place a signal on the power supply at a signal source and interpret the signal at a signal sink. The addition of the circuitry serves to add system cost.
Therefore, there is a need for a cost-effective solution for transmitting signals in a mobile platform from a local controller to a main controller when wireless communications are interrupted.